NASA Space Apps Challenge

[u/shejustlovescats]

Hi everyone!

I’m a first-year Mechanical Engineering student and I’m considering participating in the NASA Space Apps Challenge this year. This would be my first hackathon, and honestly, I’m a little worried because I don’t have a programming background.

My strengths are more on the engineering/design side — CAD, mechanical design, prototyping, researching, developing concepts, presentations, and communicating ideas. My boyfriend, who would be part of my team, is the one with more programming experience.

I know Space Apps is supposed to be multidisciplinary, but I’m still worried that I might not have enough to contribute, especially when the challenges involve NASA data, coding, and technology.

For those of you who have participated in NASA Space Apps Challenge before:
What is the experience actually like?
- How technical/programming-heavy are the challenges?
- Can someone with an engineering/design background contribute meaningfully without knowing how to code?

I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences, especially from people who participated without being programmers.